74 The East Anglian Earthquake.
Tolleshunt D'Arcy the shock was severely felt, bells were
rung, furniture moved, and one or two chimneys thrown
down. At Tollesbury chimneys were dislodged, and the
movement of the ground felt by men at work in the fields.
At these last villages the movement is said to have come from
the N.N.E., and to have lasted for sis or eight seconds. The
tower of Guisnes Court, between Tollesbury and Tolleshunt
D'Arcy, is reported to have been permanently displaced.
Turning eastwards again towards Mr. Green's villa on the
Mersea Road, we pass over the raised causeway known as tho
Strood, into Mersea Island.
West Mersea.—The damage hero was by no means so
great as at Abberton and Peldon, and the first published
reports from this neighbourhood were somewhat exagge-
rated.36 On the occasion of our visit, when Mr. Larman, the
chief officer of the coastguard station, kindly acted as our
guide, it was observed that wooden houses, of which there are
many in the village, had generally stood the earthquake well,
as also had the newer brick houses, the injury being chiefly
confined to the older buildings. At the church Mr. Symons
reports that "part of a mullion had been thrown W.S.W.
from the belfry window........and two iron chimney-
pots fell away to the S.W. of the church, but that appeared to
be all the injury there." I noted, in addition, a vortical
crack on the western side of the tower. The Vicarage is
reported to have been damaged about the roof. The Rev.
T. R. Musselwhite states that the " wave " appeared to travel
from N.E. to S.W., and was accompanied by a loud rumbling
sound, which lasted a few seconds. With respect to the direc-
tion Mr. Symons also remarks that " Two seafaring men
here stated that the shock appeared to travel from N.E., one
quake at the Rectory, in the larder, on a slate slab, a basin of milk about
three parts full was raised on the north and south sides till the milk
flowed over ; the greater amount was spilt on the south side. The clocks
were all stopped, pendulums swinging N. & S."
36 As a specimen of what may be called " sensational seismology,"
there appeared in some of the local papers the ominous heading, in large
type, " Mersea Island wrecked !"